Mergers and Acquisitions

Merushka Chetty

Joe Stafford – The $26 Million Math Mistake That Changed Everything

In this episode, James Kennedy sits down with Joe Stafford, founder of Trinity Business Advisors and serial entrepreneur, to unpack hard-won lessons from scaling to $60M revenue, surviving a bank workout, exiting two companies, and now guiding owners through exit planning the right way. Joe shares how a simple gross-margin math fix generated $26M in profit, what really happens when private equity is on the other side of the table, and a practical playbook for making your business sellable, scalable, and less owner-dependent.

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Merushka Chetty

Mike Jerman – Why PE Firms NEED Fractional CFOs

In this episode James Kennedy sits down with Mike Jerman, founder of Hollywell Partners, to dive deep into the world of financial due diligence, quality of earnings, and the real work behind private equity deals. Mike shares his unique journey from Air Force captain to PwC director and ultimately founder of a high-performing fractional CFO firm that he later sold to a PE-backed group.
They explore why private equity firms rely on fractional CFOs, the hidden risks revealed in due diligence, and what really separates accounting from financial storytelling when preparing a business for sale. Mike also opens up about how his firm discovered fraud during a routine quality of earnings check – and what business owners can learn from that.
Stick around to the end to hear Mike’s heartfelt tribute to his business mentor, and why mentorship is one of the most underrated drivers of success.

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